The UW Comm graduate program experiences big changes

February 1, 2013

The director of the MCDM program, Hanson Hosein, recently announced the addition of a new Master of Communication in Communities and Networks (MCCN) program to accompany the already existing Master of Communication in Digital Media (MCDM) emphasis. Both degrees now fall under the Communication Leadership title.

“With this new program and the pervasiveness of digital technologies, we declare that communication is now as fundamental a field of competence for leaders as, say, finance,” Hosein said. “So it’s crucial that our graduates bring a considered approach to the creation and distribution of content and knowledge within strategically convened networks. The MCDM had already been headed in this direction. I hope that the Communication Leadership program, with the MCDM and now the MCCN will take us all the way.”

Both degrees within the Communication Leadership program maintain the rigorous academic standards of the UW Graduate School and courses are based on the theory and practice of the communication discipline. The four major themes that capture the learning focus and permeate the courses are innovation, entrepreneurship, community, and story and entertainment.

“The key to success in the 21st-century communications environment is to see things that are ahead, around the curve,” said UW Department of Communication chair David Domke. “If you can see them, and can figure out how to excel in the new environments, then your communication aptitude sets you apart. Our Communication Leadership program is about seeing around the curve. For us, and for our students.”

MCDM student, Kendall Barnett believes that the new program will benefit all current and incoming students.

“The upcoming courses that are slated to be offered will enrich and complement existing classes in a way that brings our real world and academic experiences together,” she said. “I am confident that the new program will give me and other MC students a fresh perspective on the evolution of the digital landscape as it relates to leadership and communication systems.”